Frances Allen
Born 1932 · Age 93
American computer scientist and pioneer in optimizing compilers and parallelization; first female IBM Fellow and first woman to win the A.M. Turing Award.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Peru, New York
Frances Elizabeth Allen born on a dairy farm in Peru, New York; oldest of six children.
Early elementary education in one-room schoolhouse
Attended a one-room country school a mile from home (approximate period during childhood).
Earned BS in Mathematics
Graduated from The New York State College for Teachers (now SUNY Albany) with a BS in mathematics.
Began teaching high school math in Peru, NY
Taught mathematics at her local high school (her intention was to be a math teacher).
Summer courses at Columbia University
Took summer coursework at Columbia prior to graduate school (mentioned in ACM bio).
Taught FORTRAN to IBM researchers
First assignment at IBM: instruct research staff in the new FORTRAN language, which sparked her interest in compilers.
Earned MS in Mathematics from University of Michigan
Completed a Master of Science degree in mathematics; took early computing courses and learned to program an IBM 650.
Joined IBM Research (Poughkeepsie)
Hired by IBM Research two months after FORTRAN's release; initially assigned to teach FORTRAN to IBM scientists and engineers.
Assigned to Stretch/Harvest project (NSA)
Joined the team developing the IBM STRETCH supercomputer and its HARVEST coprocessor for the NSA; worked on the Alpha language and managed the compiler-optimization team.
Year-long assignment at NSA overseeing Harvest installation
Spent about a year at NSA overseeing installation and testing of the Stretch/Harvest system (system used until 1976).
Transferred to Thomas J. Watson Research Center
Moved to IBM's TJ Watson Research Center; worked on the ACS (Advanced Computing Systems) project and further compiler research.
Design & development: ACS experimental optimizing compiler
Worked on design and development of experimental optimizing compiler for the IBM ACS project (1963–1968 timeframe).
Published 'Program Optimization' (1966)
Seminal paper introducing graph-theoretic structures for program representation and optimization.
IBM Corporate Award for Algorithms for Optimizing Compilers
Received an internal IBM award recognizing contributions to optimizing compiler algorithms.
Service on U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)
Served on the U.S. NSF (noted in Britannica as service 1972–78); contributed to national research policy.
Published 'Control Flow Analysis' and 'A Basis for Program Optimization' (1970)
Papers establishing intervals and efficient data flow analysis context for optimizations.
Sabbatical/Visiting Professor at NYU (start)
Took a sabbatical to teach at New York University; served as visiting/adjunct professor from 1970–1973.
Mountain climbing expeditions begin
Became an avid mountaineer in the 1970s; participated in Arctic first ascents on Baffin Island and exploratory expeditions (dates approximate).
Worked closely with John Cocke (collaborations/publications)
Collaborated with John Cocke on a series of seminal papers (1971, 1976 etc.) that shaped modern optimizing compilers.
Published 'A Catalogue of Optimizing Transformations' (1971)
Co-authored with John Cocke; first systematization of optimizing transformations, influential in compiler design.
Married Jacob T. Schwartz
Married mathematician and NYU CS professor Jacob T. (Jack) Schwartz (later divorced in 1982).
Initiated/managed Experimental Compiling Systems (ECS) project
Led the ECS project (approx. 1973–1980) focusing on aggressive interprocedural analysis and PL/I compilers.
Published 'Interprocedural data flow analysis' (1974)
Extended analysis techniques to whole programs (IFIP Proceedings).
Published 'A program data flow analysis procedure' (1976)
Paper (with Cocke) describing analysis strategies used in modern optimizing compilers (Communications of the ACM).
Sabbatical at Stanford University
Took another sabbatical at Stanford (1977), interacting with academia and research groups.
Worked on Future Systems (FS) project compilers (approx.)
Contributed to compilers for IBM's Future Systems project (FS) during late 1960s–early 1970s; project was cancelled after technical concerns.
Initiated PTRAN / began leadership in parallel computing
Started/led Parallel TRANslation (PTRAN) work and began leading IBM efforts in parallel computing (approx. 1980–1995).
Published 'The Experimental Compiling System' (1980)
Paper in IBM Journal of Research and Development describing ECS implementation and results (Nov 1980).
PTRAN introduced program dependence graph concept
PTRAN work introduced the program dependence graph, now widely used by parallelizing compilers.
Divorced Jacob T. Schwartz
Marriage to Jacob T. Schwartz ended in divorce; they remained professionally cordial.
Initiator and manager of Parallel Programming Technology Project (PTRAN) (1984–1994)
Formalized IBM project to automatically parallelize FORTRAN programs and introduced program dependence graph concepts.
Elected to National Academy of Engineering
Recognized for significant contributions to computing and engineering.
Named IBM Fellow (first woman)
Became the first woman to be named an IBM Fellow, the company's highest technical distinction.
Named IEEE Fellow; Honorary D.Sc., University of Alberta (1991)
Became an IEEE Fellow and received an honorary Doctor of Science from University of Alberta.
Named ACM Fellow; Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1994)
Recognized by ACM and elected to AAAS (Fellow of American Academy of Arts & Sciences).
President, IBM Academy of Technology (1995–1996)
Served as President of IBM's internal Academy of Technology.
IBM Senior Technical Advisor; Blue Gene involvement begins
Served as Senior Technical Advisor on projects including SAS and the IBM Blue Gene supercomputer (approx. 1996–2002).
IEEE Computer Society Charles Babbage Award; WITI Hall of Fame induction
Received Charles Babbage Award and was inducted into the WITI (Women in Technology International) Hall of Fame.
Honorary D.Sc., Pace University
Received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Pace University.
Fellow, Computer History Museum; IBM Women in Tech Mentoring Award named in her honor
Named a Fellow of the Computer History Museum; IBM instituted the Frances E. Allen IBM Women in Technology Mentoring Award and made her the first recipient.
Elected to American Philosophical Society
Elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society.
Retired from IBM; Ada Lovelace Award
Retired after a 45-year career at IBM and received the Augusta Ada Lovelace Award from the Association for Women in Computing.
IEEE Computer Society Computer Pioneer Award; Anita Borg ABIE Award
Received the Computer Pioneer Award (IEEE Computer Society) and the ABIE Award for Technical Leadership from the Anita Borg Institute.
Awarded A.M. Turing Award (2006)
Won the A.M. Turing Award (first woman laureate) for pioneering contributions to optimizing compiler techniques; award included a $100,000 prize.
ACM Turing Award Lecture
Delivered the A.M. Turing Award lecture summarizing decades of work on compilers, optimization, and parallelization.
Climbed a 14,000-foot Himalayan peak
Participated in high-altitude climbing in April 2006, showcasing continued adventurous pursuits after retirement.
IBM Ph.D. Fellowship Award created in her honor
IBM created the Frances E. Allen Ph.D. Fellowship Award in recognition of her contributions to computing.
Multiple honorary degrees (2008)
Received honorary degrees including Doctor of Engineering (University of Notre Dame) and Doctor of Science (University of Michigan and SUNY Albany) in 2008.
Honorary D.Sc., McGill University
Awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree by McGill University for pioneering contributions to optimizing compilers and parallel execution.
Elected to National Academy of Sciences
Elected as a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, recognizing her lifelong scientific contributions.
Continued advocacy & advisory roles (post-retirement)
Served on advisory board of Anita Borg Institute, encouraged women in computing, and continued public speaking and mentoring.
Died on her 88th birthday
Frances E. Allen died in Schenectady, New York from complications of Alzheimer's disease on August 4, 2020.
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